A man in Massachusetts has more reason than ever to thank his mother after a scratch-off ticket she placed in his Valentine’s Day card led to him winning a million dollars during the Tuesday, February 13, instant ticket game.
That man is Matthew Broadley of Tyngsborough, Massachusetts. His mother gave him two of the instant-win scratch-off tickets for game as a present on the holiday, and Mr. Broadley scratched them off at about 11 pm. But rather than just having a bit of pulse-pounding fun as he scratched them off, Mr. Broadley won a million-dollar prize.
Such is what the Massachusetts State Lottery announced in a press release about his victory, made all the more fun because his mom gifted him the tickets. It said, “Matthew Broadley of Tyngsborough is the winner of a $1 million prize in the Massachusetts State Lottery’s “$4,000,000 Jumbo Cash” instant ticket game thanks to a Valentine’s Day gift from his mother.”
Continuing, the lottery went on to describe how Mr. Broadley had been gifted the two tickets, one of which was a winner, by his mom. It said, “Broadley said he received a Valentine’s Day card from his mother on Tuesday, and inside the card were two instant tickets. He said he scratched his tickets at around 11 p.m. that night and the second one was the big winner.”
The state lottery then noted that he thanked his mom when claiming his prize, saying, “Broadley, who brought the card with him and said “Thanks, mom” when claiming his prize at Mass Lottery headquarters in Dorchester on Valentine’s Day, opted to receive his prize in the form of a one-time payment of $650,000 (before taxes). He said he does not have any immediate plans for his winnings.”
The lottery also noted that the store that sold the ticket to Mr. Broadley’s mother got a bonus for doing so, writing, “The winning ticket was purchased at Lakeview General Store, 240 Lakeview Ave. in Tyngsborough. The store receives a $10,000 bonus for its sale of this ticket.”
The Massachusetts lottery is used by the state to provide aid to communities in need. “Each year, the Massachusetts State Lottery returns net profits to the Commonwealth for distribution of essential unrestricted local aid to all 351 cities and towns. Lottery funds are not earmarked for any specific programs, allowing cities and towns to choose how they would like to allocate their funds,” the website provides.
Giving examples of what those funds are used to do, the site goes on to note, “Examples of how these funds are utilized include public safety staffing and equipment, snow removal, local road improvements, school services, programs for seniors, and parks and recreation projects. Unrestricted local aid is distributed by the Department of Revenue according to a formula established by the State Legislature.“
That aid was quite substantial in 2023. “$1.193 BILLION in Lottery net profit was returned to the Commonwealth in FY 2023 for distribution of unrestricted local aid to the 351 cities and towns in Massachusetts,” it provides.
Featured image credit: the Massachusetts state lottery
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